Pumpkin Bread in a Canning Jar

This thanksgiving I tried to bring a bit of apocalyptic flair to the baking and traveling extravaganza.

As baking in jars was something I’d never done before, I used a box of pumpkin quick bread rather than try a new recipe and a new method. I did add candied ginger to the mix just because.

I used half-pint Ball jars with a quilted pattern on the outside. They have straight sides rather than tapering at the top like most jars do. This is important so that the baked good can slide right out.

Also important, spray the inside of the jars with cooking spray (there are “butter” and “with flour” varieties).

I filled each greased jar half way using a greased spoon so the mix would just slide in and avoid the sides.

One box of quick bread mix made six half-pint jars.

I wasn’t sure how long I should leave them in the oven for…

So I just sat on a step stool in front of the stove and watched them…

They cooked and rose, but didn’t explode or crack. Yay.

Taking them out was kind of hard because they were all wobbly and I felt fear.

I poked them with sticks to see if they were cooked through.

Win!

To make the canning seal do it’s thing using the heat from the baking, I closed the jars up while they were still hot.

Then I waited. I waited about an hour for them to seem sealed.

As part of the experiment I had to open and eat one.

The fresh baked bread slides right out of the jar! Preparation for the win!

Plating for extra points.

Yum!

One half-pint jar of bread is probably just enough for two people.

Baked goods are a great way to show you put in some extra effort when visiting someone. In the post-apocalyptic world you’ll have limited recourses. Canning jars and aluminum cans will be used as your storage, drinking glasses, and now baking vessels.

Because of the weird looking condensation, you might want to dress up the presentation a bit, and consider that traveling with the jars might be a bit precarious.